This was in the back of my father's shop. He died a few years ago, so I cannot ask him. I grew up in Los Angeles, but we went to Mexico a couple times a year to see friends. It's carved from a single log, it's pretty big, the size of shield, not a mask, and the wood is old enough to start crumbling even in the dry climate.

It's the skeleton's exposed vagina and anus that makes it unusual, and why I'm investigating it and its meaning.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/ckdw1g2S3f4nZwd16

Hi Everyone,

I am doing a short 5 minute study on the relationship between personality and ratings of different artistic designs and cultural monuments. The study is focused on Americans but people from other countries are also welcome. If you are at least 18 years old, I would highly appreciate your help in participation!!!

Study link:

https://idc.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_dgvgGCHaeXqmY1U

Participation is strictly voluntary (Thanks!).

I will post the responses here after data collection and analyses is complete (about 2-3 weeks).

For questions please contact me at this reddit account.

Thank you very much in advance for your participation!

Would love some suggestions on artists or pieces featuring the human penis. I'm struggling to find some really wild, cool art work and I'd like to discover some new artists.

I think it’s Latin lol but every time I search on google for it I can never find out.

Hey,

so i wondered, whether identifying a shape as a specific letter (e.g., “capital letter A”), in the context of Erwin Panofsky’s three-level model of image analysis, already moves us beyond the pre-iconographic stage into the realm of iconographic identification.

After all, recognizing a form as a letter requires cultural knowledge of writing systems, typography, etc. Would a strictly pre-iconographic description be something like “symmetrical angular shape with a horizontal stroke”?

looking to give out some postcards to my music instructors :--)

For my MA thesis, I’m researching how the Europeans viewed the native Americans in the late 1400/early 1500’s. There is a specific woodcut print image I can see in my head that I’ve studied before but I can not for the life of me find it.

It’s from the time period, more of a news print than an actual work of art. It’s a nude couple, clearly a recycled Adam and Eve block, on the left side. In what is obviously a separate block stamped next to it to the right is printed nature/Europeans/ I’m blanking on it. It’s an almost cartoonish style, similar to the ‘New world scene’ by Johann Froschauer in 1505, but less graphic.

I’ve tried asking my library sources and some professors, but either I’m not explaining right or they’ve never seen it.

Thank you!!

Hi everyone—I’m doing historical research and trying to find the current location of a portrait of Alexander Robertson of Charleston, South Carolina. This isn’t a missing item or ownership claim—I’m simply interested in tracing where the painting ended up.

It was painted around 1840 by William Scarborough, a known Southern portrait artist. The portrait is life-sized, oil on canvas, and was owned by Susannah Wetmore Nye and Douglas Day Nye before it was auctioned off at Schindler’s Antique Shop in Charleston, sometime around 1920.

I’ve attached the only surviving photo of it—it’s a bit blurry, but you can make out the oval vignette background, his dark coat and cravat, and part of the frame.

Everything in the photo—including other artworks, furniture, and decorative objects—was auctioned off at the same time. If anyone recognizes anything from the image, or has any leads on where these items ended up (whether in private collections, museums, or auction records), I’d be incredibly grateful.

If you also know any good methods for tracking down old portraits and antiques like this—through databases, registries, auction archives, or art circles—I’d love suggestions.

Thanks so much for taking a look!

I am curious if you guys have an opinion on whether NYC or London's collection of paintings is more impressive. To be clear, I am including all museums in one consideration for each city, not just the National Gallery vs the Met. I am American and cherish the collection we have in NYC, but it seems like every time I look up where some incredibly important artwork is it is somewhere in London.

i’m an undergraduate, majoring in art history, i recently took a “methodology of art history” course and loved it. While scholars like Aby Warburg, Bernard Berenson, Roberto Longhi are obviously very important, i’d like to know a few names of living art historians who are.. you know.. not dead. Bonus if their focus is on the renaissance period.

I find this Painting by Theodor Kittelsen very interesting as it is scary and beautiful at the same time. And I am wondering why mysterious paintings are so intriguing

I’m a prospective PhD student trying to make a final decision on whether to go to grad school or simply keep working, and I’m curious what your experience has been been on the job market post-degree, both in/outside of academia. 

While the stipends I’ve been offered (~45-55k) pay a lot less than my current position, I am really drawn to the idea of being funded to study + research + write for a few years. 

Another thing on my mind is the current economic and political environment; literally all of the schools I’m considering have been named by EO’s, and there’s a mounting economic uncertainty that isn’t showing signs of dissipating anytime soon. 

Decision deadlines are next week, so I'm open to all any/all advice. I'm in Modern/Contemporary if that's helpful.

Can anyone recommend a book with good quality pictures of her paintings etc? I live in a small town, I can't find any here. I have a small book of her print work, but I would like more of her portrait paintings and work overall. I'd be grateful if someone could recommend something so I don't have to blind buy online.

I’m trying to follow what is happening to art museums in the USA regarding the Trump anti-DEI directives. With so many mass casualties of Trump/DOGE I know this isn’t high on the list for many and the stories aren’t a great priority for the editors. But if anyone is following journalists who are covering this please drop their names below!

The Art Museum of the Americas had their grant pulled on what would have been their latest exhibition- four years in the making - for being DEI. The curator of the show, Cheryl Edwards, told Hyperallergic “this is not a fundraising issue. This is an issue of silencing DEI visual voices… and discrimination based upon race, cast, and class.”

I would like to know some history about him if possible. I couldn't find much online, even the museum with the painting doesn't have much.

Title just about says it. I’m looking for any/all information about a Robert Longo Exhibition that was held at MCA in Chicago in the spring of 1990.

Any help?

Hi, I’m not sure if this is the best place to post this, but does anyone know if this master’s from University of Bocconi would be better in the current job market over a masters in art history?

I've been thinking a lot about portraiture over the past several weeks, but haven't landed on who I would choose. Wondering what others would think.

Hello! I am currently in search of some art with dark themes, what I am looking for specifically is maybe some with Gothic Cathedrals, Bats, Vampires, Suicide, Depression... also in search of something Medieval such as Knights, Swords, Love, Tragic. My search very broad I just wanna find something beautiful and something that speaks to me. My favorite art peice is the Raft of Medusa so maybe if you know one as grim or morbid I would love to take a look! I'm very beginner in art history so if you know the lore and stories behind the art I am dying to hear about it! Thank you!

Hi everyone, I am currently halfway through a physics degree (super crazy switch I known) but I’m honestly feeling so burnt out and unhappy with my choices. I have always loved art and the only class I’ve enjoyed in high school was an intro to art history course. I was wondering what kinds of jobs someone can get with a BA in art history and if it’s worthwhile to study it in college. I’ve heard jobs in journalism or even going to law school are potential paths with an art history degree so if anyone can share their experiences I’d be so grateful!

https://youtu.be/zQCKOLn6gSI?si=wYTZjRwT5H-NiObt

I watched this video, and after it finished I was struck by his claims and their just blatant bias. He seemed to have picked a topic and then highlighted art that was intentionally iffy. He focuses on 19th century and 18th century art, mostly renaissance, does this affect the argument? I want to discuss this video and if he's making good points because I could NOT get on his side whatsoever, I am.a big fan of the postmodernism movement which definitely highlights my bias. Perhaps someone can explain this opinion! Hope everyone is well.

So I finished a 4 year long MA Hons degree at Glasgow Uni with a first, having pretty much only As. During my studies I kind of felt that the degree is crazily easy - partly because of online exams - because it costed me zero effort to get these grades. I really valued the emphasis on analytical and creatical thinking skills, but at the same time I felt it is not good I was not required by the professors to learn any info by heart. Now I am back to my country (Poland), studying a directing degree at a theatre school, where we also have an art history module and I keep discovering I don't know many many artists and artworks which my fellow classmates (who even hasn't studied art history) can recognise. I wouldn't even dare to compare myself to a random polish art history student, should I meet one. I don't mean to make a rant about quality of UK uni teaching - I am just curious if anybody else here feels a little bit unsatisfied with it.

Does anybody know what the text behind her says?